Leanpub

Leanpub is an ebook and course writing and publishing service with a storefront for selling finished work. It is best suited to independent authors who want to manage both production and reader-selected pricing in one place. The free tier is a sensible starting point, but its monthly publishing cap is restrictive for active authors.

Overview

Authors can write in a browser or on a computer, preview or publish with one click, or upload an existing ebook. Leanpub Flavoured Markdown and Markua are the native writing formats; Bring Your Own Book accepts PDF, EPUB, and MOBI. That range makes Leanpub useful both for authors beginning a manuscript and those bringing a finished ebook to a sales storefront.

Authors set minimum and suggested prices, while readers choose what to pay, including more than the suggested amount. Authors receive 80% on purchases of $7.99 and up, and 80% minus $0.50 on purchases below $7.99. The flexible pricing can suit authors who want readers to choose their payment, but the flat deduction makes very low-priced sales less favorable.

Key features

Leanpub supports EPUB and PDF export, reflowable layouts, ebook validation, and accessibility tools. Import options include PDF, EPUB, and DOCX, while Bring Your Own Book also accepts MOBI. Authors can move from source material to preview and publication within the same service, although the Free Author publishing quota may interrupt frequent revision cycles.

Pro Author adds GitHub and Dropbox sync, Google Analytics, InDesign export, and access to the Leanpub API. The API supports programmatic previewing, publishing, and management of books and courses, subject to per-key rate limits. These capabilities are most relevant to authors with an established publishing workflow; they are unlikely to justify the top tier for someone who only needs occasional ebook exports.

Leanpub identifies Ruboss Technology Corporation as its operator and data controller under the EU GDPR, and says it takes reasonable steps to minimize personal information and retain it only as needed. Information associated with book and course purchases is retained indefinitely unless users request deletion, a meaningful consideration for readers mindful of long-term purchase data.

Pricing

Leanpub uses a freemium model. Free Author costs nothing and includes 3 books and 1 course, up to 5 previews or publishes per month, and the stated royalty terms. That is enough to begin a small project, but the cap limits authors who revise or publish often. Free Author members can seek support through the Author Forum or by email.

Mini Author costs $8.99 a month, billed $26.97 every 3 months. It raises the allowance to up to 100 books and courses and 20 previews or publishes per month. This is the modest step up for authors who have outgrown the free quota, though it still imposes a monthly publishing limit.

Light Author costs $13.99 a month, billed $41.97 every 3 months. It keeps the 100-book-and-course limit while making previews and publishes unlimited, and adds custom themes and print-ready PDF export. This is a better fit for regular publishing or authors who need print-ready output.

Pro Author costs $18.99 a month, billed $56.97 every 3 months. It includes GitHub and Dropbox sync, Google Analytics, InDesign export, the Leanpub API, and AI Support. Choose it for those integrations and workflow features; authors who only need unlimited publishing and print-ready PDF export can stop at Light Author.

Platforms

Leanpub is available on the web and through an API. Authors can write in a browser or on a computer; the API supports programmatic work with books and courses, with per-key rate limits.

Who it's for

Leanpub suits independent authors and course creators who want writing or upload options, publishing, and a storefront alongside flexible reader-selected prices. It is less compelling for authors who only need a standalone ebook editor, or whose frequent publishing would make Free Author's five monthly previews or publishes impractical.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Writing, upload, preview, publishing, and sales are brought together, so authors can use one service across the publishing workflow.
• Pros: Reader-selected pricing, EPUB and PDF export, reflowable layouts, validation, and accessibility tools give authors useful control over how they price and prepare ebooks.
• Pros: Light and Pro tiers remove the publishing cap, with print-ready PDF export on Light and integrations and API access on Pro.
• Cons: Free Author limits authors to five previews or publishes per month, so active revision can require a paid plan.
• Cons: Mini Author still caps monthly previews or publishes at 20; unlimited publishing starts at Light Author.
• Cons: Purchases below $7.99 incur a $0.50 deduction from the 80% royalty, which matters most for low minimum prices.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see eBook Creation Software.

Bloom is worth considering for its free basic book features and availability across Android, Linux, web, and Windows; its enterprise tier offers custom branding and analytics at custom pricing.

Sigil is a free option for authors who want a downloadable ebook tool for Windows, macOS, or Linux rather than Leanpub's publishing and storefront combination.

Plumati may suit authors who want a free plan with EPUB and web exports, 20k AI tokens per month, and 200 MB storage; it also offers a free trial.

Jutoh is a paid, cross-platform choice with a free trial for authors who want to import, edit, and create ebooks in popular formats.

Pressbooks is a fit for institutions or authors seeking a web or self-hosted publishing platform, with a 7-day trial and an institutional network plan priced at $5,999 a year.

Bookalope is another option for authors who want ebook conversion tools and a free test version, with paid conversion pricing.

Koberger offers free formatting, design, layout, and preview; choose it if those tasks matter more than exporting finished files, which requires Pro.

Atticus may be preferable for authors seeking writing and formatting tools with EPUB, PDF, and DOCX export and online and offline access.

Verdict

Leanpub is a strong choice for independent authors who want to write or upload ebooks, publish them, and sell through a storefront with reader-selected pricing. Its main advantage is the joined-up workflow and flexible pricing; its main drawback is that frequent publishing and revision push authors toward paid tiers, while the $0.50 deduction below $7.99 can weigh on low-priced sales. Choose Free Author to start small, Light Author for unlimited publishing and print-ready PDFs, or Pro Author when its integrations and API fit your workflow.